The present invention relates to a tape feeder for supplying a part contained in a tape in a state of capable of picking up the part.
According to a carrier tape used in a tape feeder, parts are contained at part containing portions formed at equal intervals in a carrying direction, and opening portions thereof are covered by a cover tape. Sprocket holes are formed at equal intervals in parallel with the part containing portions, and when a carrying sprocket is intermittently rotated in a state of being brought in mesh with the sprocket holes, the carrier tape is carried in one direction by a constant pitch. Thereby, the parts contained in the part containing portions are successively supplied to a pick up position, picked up by a nozzle or the like of a mounting head and mounted to a board or the like. In picking up by a nozzle or the like, it is necessary to expose the part by exfoliating the cover tape, and therefore, there is used a tape feeder including an exfoliating mechanism of the cover tape other than a carrying mechanism of the carrier tape (refer to Patent Reference 1).
[Patent Reference 1] Japanese Patent No. 3873738
The carrying mechanism and the exfoliating mechanism are constituted by drive systems independent from each other, and parts in an exposed state are controlled to be successively supplied to the pick up position by synchronizing the drive systems. However, the tape feeder including the two drive systems is expensive, and it is difficult in view of cost to previously prepare spares exceeding a number of pieces necessary for shortening time taken for interchanging a carrier tape. In this case, although a reduction in cost can be achieved by commonly using a single drive system by linking the drive system of the carrying mechanism and the exfoliating mechanism, there poses a problem that a total mechanism is complicated and layout is restricted by a restriction in view of a link mechanism.